Taiwan's Lee nears homer milestone in Tigers loss to Royals

Taipei, Aug. 23 (CNA) Detroit Tigers infielder Lee Hao-yu (李灝宇) hit his seventh home run of the 2026 Major League Baseball (MLB) season on Saturday, moving him within two of the single-season record for homers by a Taiwanese MLB player.

The blast came in the top of the fifth inning of the Tigers' away game against the Kansas City Royals, cutting the Royals' lead to 2-1. Lee's homer off Royals starter Michael Wacha was the longest of his MLB career at 446 feet (136 meters).

Lee's seventh homer moved him closer to the single-season record of nine homers held by former MLB infielder Yu Chang (張育成), who reached the mark while playing for the Cleveland Guardians, then known as the Cleveland Indians, in 2021.

Lee broke Yu's single-season record for hits by a Taiwanese player earlier this month, and he now has 60 hits and 31 RBIs, with one stolen base and a batting average of .278 in 216 at-bats this season.

His home run was all the offense the Tigers could muster Saturday against Wacha in a 3-1 loss, their seventh in their last eight games, dropping their season record to 61-68.

The Royals (57-74), meanwhile, have the second-longest winning streak in the majors at seven games, behind the Philadelphia Phillies.